White House briefing after shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

[0:05] Good afternoon. It is 12.50 p.m. Eastern Time, 9.50 a.m. Pacific Time. You are looking at live [1:39] images right now of the White House Press Briefing Room. We're at about 1.15 Eastern Time. We're [1:47] expecting White House Press Secretary Caroline Lovett to address members of the media for a [1:53] White House Press Briefing. This, of course, is coming after the White House Correspondents [1:58] Dinner shooting that took place on Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton in Washington, [2:04] D.C. All attendees were evacuated. Nobody was hurt. There were no deaths in the room. The suspect is [2:11] due in court later today, and we are expected that topic, as well as the Iran War, to be addressed [2:18] by Caroline Lovett. Again, that's coming to you at 1.15 p.m. Eastern Time. In the meantime, [2:27] I'm Adam Lorenz. Welcome here inside Live Now from Fox, where we are going to bring you the latest [2:32] news and information from across the United States and around the world. You are watching a live [2:38] YouTube stream of Live Now from Fox right now, and again, we are standing by for that White House [2:44] Press Briefing. In the meantime, we're going to be joined shortly here by a professor from the [2:49] University of Southern California, Mr. Morris Levy, to give us more information on the political [2:55] ramifications of the Iran War. You're looking at a live shot right now of the University of Southern [3:01] California. It looks like a beautiful day out there in Los Angeles, and now let's bring in [3:07] Professor Levy into the conversation. Professor Morris Levy, how are you doing today? [3:12] I'm fine, thanks. It's always a beautiful day in Southern California. [3:15] That's right. That's right. Thank you so much, Professor, for being on with us today. [3:20] What are you expecting to hear from Caroline Levitt here in about 15, 20 minutes, especially in light [3:27] of what happened on Saturday evening? Yeah, my guess is that Caroline Levitt will try to focus [3:35] attention on what happened on Saturday evening. I think these types of events, may they never occur, [3:44] but they do tend to elicit sympathy for those who are targeted. And in this case, I think you'll see [3:54] a concerted effort to try to call attention to what the right, conservatives, Republicans think is an [4:03] ongoing threat from inflammatory rhetoric on the left that has real ramifications in cases like this. [4:12] It's not to say that this rhetoric is directly responsible for what happened. The individual [4:19] is. But I imagine that Caroline Levitt will try to make the case that the incendiary rhetoric and [4:27] name-calling that one hears is a real palpable threat to Republicans and that it needs to be toned down. [4:35] Yeah, yeah. Let's go to the Iran war right now. I know that you have a lot of experience talking [4:41] about international relations. What do you think right now is sort of the political judgment of [4:47] President Trump? Is the war right now, is it helping him politically nationwide? Is it hurting him? I [4:54] know we're kind of looking ahead to midterms here in November as well. We certainly are. I think, [5:01] you know, the part that I omitted in what I said a moment ago is that in focusing on what happened [5:08] Saturday night, Ms. Levitt will probably try to take some attention away from the war on Iran. She [5:14] won't be able to do that entirely. The reason for that is that the war is quite unpopular in American [5:21] public opinion. We see this in poll after poll. I can get into it with you about, you know, why that [5:28] is and why President Trump hasn't been more successful in ginning up public support. But the [5:36] bottom line is that as things stand right now, the war is a liability on multiple fronts. Polling shows [5:41] that Americans don't have a clear understanding of why we got into the war. Also, what the war aims are, [5:48] what we hope to achieve in the war. They are skeptical that we've succeeded in achieving whatever [5:54] the war aims are. And they're very nervous about the fallout of the war for pocketbook type concerns, [6:01] most notably, probably the price of gas and energy. Yeah. Yeah. Do you think that I know President [6:09] Trump has mentioned the price of gas multiple times over the last few weeks? Do you think those [6:15] pocketbook concerns, as you phrased it there very eloquently, do you think that those matter more to [6:20] Americans, maybe more so than, you know, kind of talking about the Strait of Hormuz or getting into [6:26] like deep war strategy and war talk? Where do where did the where does the average American kind of [6:33] fall into all of this? Sure. So, you know, Americans have concerns about foreign policy, but those tend to [6:40] pale in comparison to their concerns about, you know, their immediate day to day life, how much things cost. [6:48] People were already pretty unhappy about the situation with what is now being referred to as [6:55] affordability concerns. Gas certainly factors into that. We're a nation of drivers and commuters. And [7:02] so this is a big issue. By contrast, what's happening over there, the Strait of Hormuz, halfway around the [7:10] world, these things are a little bit harder for for people to sort of sink their teeth into. And so [7:17] so there are two things that you could say about it. One is that foreign policy concerns tend, for the [7:24] most part, not to be central in political campaigns and in what drives people who are maybe on the fence [7:32] to vote one way or the other. They're typically not nearly as important as economic concerns. [7:37] On the other hand, I think, you know, if President Trump had succeeded in rallying support for this [7:47] war, he might have had a little bit more running room to to explain to the public, look, you know, [7:52] there's some sacrifice in the short term, but it's for an important purpose that serves the American [7:58] national interest. I think there's a case to be made for that. I don't think President Trump and the [8:04] administration have been terribly successful in making that case yet. And so if you want to sort [8:09] of summarize what what a typical voter is thinking, it's something like, I know there's a connection [8:17] between stuff the administration is doing halfway around the world and and rising prices now. And I [8:25] don't understand why they're doing this stuff halfway around the world. And I'm pretty unhappy about [8:30] having to pay another dollar, dollar and a half at the pump. It's also possible, you know, economic [8:35] projections are notoriously iffy, but it's possible that the economic situation could get worse here. [8:41] So far, the US has been more resilient than a lot of other places where we have a greater energy [8:50] independence, we had an economy that was in, by and large, very good shape relative to a lot of other [8:56] countries. And, and yet, you know, people were not happy already with the situation. And it is a [9:05] little bit late in the game for the administration to be blaming Biden for this for the the unhappiness. [9:12] So I think it's it's really two things. It's it's not that Americans are going to get into most [9:17] Americans are going to get into the nitty gritty of, you know, is the blockade working? How many ships [9:23] has Iran taken? How many have we stopped, you know, but they're, they're confused about what's [9:29] going on with the war and, and, and what they do see in their own lives is higher prices. And so that's [9:37] something that the administration is probably going to have to get a little bit more adept at [9:41] addressing. Yeah, and I expect White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt to address that here as [9:47] well. Let's go back to Saturday evening, the suspect that's in custody, who carried out this shooting at [9:55] the Washington Hilton. The reports are that he's from Torrance, California, just not too far from from USC's [10:01] campus. What's been the local Southern California coverage of this shooter and of the situation in the [10:08] aftermath of Saturday night? Well, from what I've seen of the coverage, I don't think anyone is necessarily [10:14] playing up the the the ties to the to, you know, to the region here. This is, you know, this is [10:21] obviously somebody who snapped in in some way, and somebody who took incendiary rhetoric quite a bit [10:32] too literally. And, and so I think, you know, you're going to get a predictable pattern. Republicans are [10:41] going to try to play up the role that that some of this inflammatory rhetoric played in motivating [10:47] the the would be shooter. Well, he was a shooter, but the would be assassin. And, and I think Republicans [10:55] can also, sorry, Democrats can also point out that, you know, this type of behavior is not something that [11:03] they are explicitly condoning. And, and, and so, you know, locally, I think the reaction is much like the rest of the [11:11] country to this, it's, it's, it's a national event. And the what's relevant, I think, are the are the party [11:19] alignments. And those, those are not particularly distinct here from the rest of the country. We do have [11:24] Republicans in Southern California. Yes, yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Morris, you know, one thing that President Trump [11:31] spoke about, um, in, in the news conference, in the emergency news conference following the shooting [11:36] on Saturday night, he mentioned the unity that he experienced in the room when, you know, secret [11:41] service agents came, came in and told everybody to get down. And he said it felt like a, a unified room. [11:47] Do you expect this, uh, this feeling of unity? How long do you, do you expect it to, to last, uh, going [11:54] forward, uh, between the president and, and members of the media, a group that he has largely had a, a lot of [12:00] clashes with in the past? I think it's a good moment. I think it's genuine. I think events like [12:06] this, I mean, you know, almost nobody, uh, condones or accepts political violence and, um, and every, [12:14] everyone knows, uh, media and politicians alike that, uh, that this has ramifications for Democrats, [12:21] for Republicans, for, for journalists and for politicians. But I, I don't unfortunately expect [12:27] the moment of unity to last very long. The news cycle is what it is. We will move on. There'll be [12:32] another story. Someone will say something dumb, um, and, uh, and we'll be off to the races. There's a, [12:39] there's an equilibrium in our politics that is one, uh, that carries a lot of vitriol and polarization [12:45] at the elite level. And, um, and one, one event, uh, however, um, you know, however prominent, [12:53] uh, is just not going to, to derail that. Yeah. Professor, uh, Morris Levy, we appreciate all of [13:00] your insights on this matter. Uh, as we look ahead to this, uh, press briefing, uh, by Caroline [13:05] Leavitt here coming up any moment now, uh, thank you so much for, for joining me today and, uh, [13:10] looking forward to, uh, future conversations with you down the line. [13:14] My pleasure. Thanks a lot for having me. [13:16] Thank you so much, Professor. Take care. [13:18] All right. Take care. [13:18] All right. That was Professor Morris Levy from USC, uh, his political science department, [13:25] uh, previewing what we're expecting to hear from White House press secretary, Caroline [13:29] Leavitt. Uh, this press conference slated to begin at 1 15 PM Eastern time. That's 10 15 AM [13:36] Pacific time. Uh, what's bringing now, uh, into a live look inside that White House, uh, press [13:42] briefing room. It looks like, uh, some reporters are getting, uh, their microphones situated and [13:47] members of the press have, uh, taken their seats. Uh, let's take a live look and, uh, [13:51] listen in as to what's going on inside the White House press briefing room. [13:55] I think that will be one of the first questions here is to ask for the president on Saturday. [14:16] He wants to have this, uh, event within the next 30 days. And the big question is where are we [14:22] possible to do that? Do we go back to the whole day? And if so, what would the securities look [14:27] like? Um, good afternoon, everyone. Later today, president Trump and the first lady will welcome [14:42] King Charles and queen Camilla for a state visit here at the White House. First lady Melania [14:48] Trump has led all of the preparation for the state visit, which will honor the longstanding [14:53] and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. As I told many [14:59] of you on Friday afternoon, I thought that would be my last time taking your questions until [15:04] after my maternity leave. But given the attempted assassination of the president and quote top [15:10] Trump administration officials, as the depraved shooter noted in his manifesto at the White [15:15] House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday evening, I felt it was prudent to be here today [15:21] to answer your questions and inform the American people about how the administration is responding [15:26] to yet another attempt on president Trump's life. Saturday was supposed to be a joyful evening [15:33] celebrating free speech and the first amendment with all of you members of the press. Instead, [15:39] the night was hijacked by a crazed anti-Trump individual who traveled across the country to assassinate [15:46] the president and as many administration officials as possible. This is the third major assassination [15:52] attempt against President Trump in two years. No other president in history has faced such repeated, [15:59] serious attempts on his life. First and foremost, the president, the first lady and everyone in this [16:06] White House are extraordinarily grateful to the brave law enforcement professionals who sprang into action [16:12] to apprehend the would-be assassin and keep all of us safe. The president would especially like to express [16:18] his gratitude to the men and women of the United States Secret Service who acted with the utmost [16:23] professionalism, courage, and sense of duty. This includes the heroic agent who took a bullet to the chest. [16:31] Thankfully, he was saved by his bulletproof vest. Minutes after returning here to the White House, [16:36] to the Oval Office, despite fighting Secret Service to try to stay and keep the dinner going on Saturday, [16:42] ahead of addressing you here in the briefing room, President Trump was intent on speaking to this brave [16:48] agent to ensure he was okay. And the agent assured the president that he was. As you know, I was [16:54] seated next to President Trump and the first lady when the shots were fired before Secret Service [16:59] swiftly moved us to safety backstage. The president's calm in the face of chaos, while yet another [17:05] individual was trying to take his life, was really remarkable to witness. And it's something I will [17:11] never forget. President Trump is fearless because he loves this country and he is willing to put his own [17:18] life on the line to deliver on the promises that he made to the American public who elected him here [17:23] into the highest office in the land. And while we are blessed to have a fearless president, we should [17:29] not live in a country where such constant fear of political violence permeates our society every single [17:36] day. We can and we should have fierce disagreement in this country. As you all know, we disagree often, [17:44] myself in this role and all of you in the news media. But those disagreements must remain peaceful. [17:50] Debating, peaceful protesting and voting are how we need to settle disagreements, not bullets. Nobody [17:57] in recent years has faced more bullets and more violence than President Trump. This political violence [18:03] stems from a systemic demonization of him and his supporters by commentators, yes, by elected members of the [18:10] Democrat Party and even some in the media. This hateful and constant and violent rhetoric directed at [18:17] President Trump day after day after day for 11 years has helped legitimize this violence and bring us to [18:25] this dark moment. Those who constantly falsely label and slander the president as a fascist, as a threat to [18:32] democracy and compare him to Hitler to score political points are fueling this kind of violence. The left wing cults of [18:40] hatred against the president and all of those who support him and work for him has gotten multiple [18:46] people hurt and killed and it almost did so again this weekend. When you read the manifesto of this [18:53] shooter, ask yourselves, how different is the rhetoric from this almost assassin than what you read on social [19:00] media and hear in various forums every single day? The answer, if you're being honest with yourself, is that [19:06] there is no difference at all. Much of the manifesto of the would-be assassin is indistinguishable from [19:13] the words that we hear daily from so many. For example, as the First Lady of the United States [19:19] pointed out this morning, just two days prior to the shooting, ABC's late night host Jimmy Kemmel [19:25] disgustingly called First Lady Melania Trump an expectant widow. Who in their right minds says a wife [19:31] would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband. And having experienced what I did [19:37] with the First Lady on Saturday night, I can tell you that she was anything but that. This kind of [19:42] rhetoric about the president, the First Lady and his supporters is completely deranged and it's [19:46] unbelievable that the American people are consuming it night after night after night. As President Trump [19:53] said on Saturday night at this podium, we as Americans must recommit ourselves to resolving our [19:58] differences peacefully and uniting around the shared values that make our country great. The deranged lies [20:05] and smears against the president, his family, his supporters have led crazy people to believe crazy [20:11] things and they are inspired to commit violence because of those words. It has to stop. And one more [20:18] point, Saturday night served as yet another reminder of how important it is to fund the Department of [20:24] Homeland Security. It is shameful that the United States Congress has kept this vital agency defunded [20:31] for 73 days, the longest shutdown of a federal agency in U.S. history. The Secret Service is a vital [20:39] component of DHS and has been directly impacted by this reckless political game and gamesmanship. [20:45] Everyone in this room who was there on Saturday night witnessed the heroes of Secret Service and federal [20:50] law enforcement jump into action in the face of grave danger and uncertainty. Agents put their own lives [20:57] in harm's way to protect the president, the first lady, the vice president and members of the cabinet. [21:03] One agent can be seen in video footage literally jumping onto the stage, not knowing where the attacker [21:10] was or where the bullets were coming from at that point to place his body in front of the president of the United [21:15] States. These men and women are heroes. They perform their duties daily and they have children and [21:21] families too. And they do it despite the political turmoil surrounding their agency. Make no mistake, [21:28] this defunding of DHS should be a national scandal. If Republicans defunded DHS and we saw in another [21:35] attempted assassination on a Democrat president, I would hope that the media coverage would be relentless [21:41] and unforgiving and I hope that it continues to be now. With the World Cup, America 250, the 2028 Olympics [21:48] and a presidential election all ahead, the Democrats obstruction is placing an enormous and totally [21:54] pointless burden on the Secret Service that can get more people killed. Enough is enough. There should be [22:00] no further debate about this. Democrats need to do what President Trump has been calling on them to do for [22:06] 73 days in a row and fund the Department of Homeland Security period. This is a national emergency and [22:14] every member of Congress needs to put their country over party and get the Department of Homeland Security [22:20] funded. With that, I will take a few of your questions today. Daniel, thank you for being here. [22:24] Why don't you kick us off? Thank you, Caroline. The president Saturday after the assassination [22:28] campaign here, he emphasized that law enforcement did their job in keeping everyone safe for dinner. [22:34] House Speaker Mike Johnson came out and said he, the president, needs greater protection. [22:39] What is the White House's message to the millions of Americans who wake up here today nervous, [22:44] uneasy about the safety of the president at events like this and safety of the cabinet members? [22:48] Well, we certainly understand their fears and their worries. As you heard from the president himself, [22:55] he continues to have trust in the United States Secret Service. As I just said, [22:59] these are great men and women who are doing their jobs and performing their honor their their duties [23:04] honorably. As we all witnessed on Saturday evening, within minutes, the president, the first lady, [23:10] the vice president, members of the president's cabinet were ushered out of the room. The perpetrator [23:15] who sought to inflict massive harm, as we all now know, with the release of the manifesto on administration [23:22] officials and the president himself, was stopped at the security parameter that was set up. He tried [23:28] to charge through it, as you saw on video, and he was quickly neutralized by Secret Service. And thank [23:33] God that he was. With that said, obviously, the White House is always asking the tough questions [23:38] and ensuring the safety of the president. I understand there will be a meeting early this week [23:43] convened by the White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with top DHS leadership, members of the United [23:48] State Secret Service, and our own operations team here to ensure the safety and the security of [23:53] the president, as we do have many of these major events moving forward. So we're always monitoring [23:58] operations and procedures, always asking the tough questions to ensure the president is safe and the [24:03] American people should be assured there is no higher priority for the president and his staff than the [24:08] president's safety. [24:08] The Press on Friday, you said that you thought that that gaggle out of the sticks would be your last one [24:13] before your baby. Back in 2024, when the president had the attempt on his life in Butler, you cut your [24:19] maternity leave short back then. You're obviously back here today after Saturday. Can you just elaborate [24:24] a little bit why you felt it was important to be here to bring to the media and talk to the American [24:29] people from the stand? Sure. It's sort of crazy timing when you put it that way for both children [24:35] with two assassination attempts against the president. I'm honored to work in this job. I view this job as the [24:42] president's spokesperson and the White House spokeswoman as public service. It's not just any job. [24:47] I'm honored to do it. And I'm honored to work and speak on behalf of President Trump, who has faced [24:52] unprecedented adversity and challenges. And I'm honored to work for him. And again, as I witnessed [24:59] on Saturday night, just his dogged resolve and determination to get back onto the stage. And he was [25:05] pushing secret service and law enforcement to allow him to address. And that that really, I think, hopefully [25:11] gives the country the type of strength that we need. And I certainly know as his spokeswoman, [25:16] and I can speak on behalf of all of the staff here at the White House, the president inspires all of [25:20] us to just keep going and keep fighting every day. Thanks, Daniel. And congrats to you on your new baby. [25:26] He's beautiful. Aisha. Just from the rhetoric, you mentioned the First Lady and Jimmy Kimmel. [25:31] Jimmy Kimmel's comments were, Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow. And he said this days [25:38] before the shooting. But there does seem to be a normalization of rhetoric about assassinating [25:46] this particular president. How can this administration try to put an end to this? [25:53] Well, I think you heard it directly from the president on Saturday night, Aisha, that in his [25:58] words, we need to recommit ourselves as a country to toning down the rhetoric and to unifying around [26:05] what makes our country great. That's true of everyone who works in this White House. But as I [26:10] said, it's also true of everyone who has a voice and a platform across this country, whether you're on [26:16] television, a podcast host, you know, people listen. And when you have mentally disturbed individuals [26:23] across the country who are listening to this crazed rhetoric about the president day after day after [26:29] day, it inspires them to do crazy things. And unfortunately, it's not just the media. It is [26:35] the entire Democrat Party has made their pitch to voters across the country that Donald Trump poses [26:42] an existential threat to democracy, that he is a fascist, and that they compare him to Hitler. [26:47] I mean, these are despicable statements that the American people have been consuming for years. [26:51] And so many mentally perturbed individuals are led to believe these words are truth [26:56] and then are inspired to act on it. I have a whole host of examples that we can share with you [27:02] after it is pages and pages of major Democrat Party elected officials saying such as Rep. Hakeem [27:09] Jeffries just this April this month said we are in an era of maximum warfare everywhere all the time. [27:16] Governor Josh Shapiro said heads need to roll within the administration. Senator Alex Padilla said people [27:23] are, quote, dying because of fear and terror caused by the Trump administration. Senator Elizabeth [27:28] Warren, President Trump is making the country look like a, quote, fascist state. Senator Adam Schiff [27:34] saying President Trump using a dictator playbook. Senator Ed Markey calling President Trump a dictator, [27:40] saying that this administration's actions are authoritarianism on steroids. Governor J.B. [27:45] Pritzker, never before in my life have I called for mass protest disruptions. [27:49] These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. You have Rep. Presley saying we'll see you in the [27:55] streets. Monica McIver, a Democrat representative on Capitol Hill, we will not take this [28:01] shit from Donald Trump. He thinks he's a dictator. We are at war. These are Democrat elected officials [28:08] calling for war against the president of the United States and his supporters. I could go on and on. But [28:13] again, when you have people in positions of power that are saying things like this every single day for [28:19] years, you are inspiring violence by people who are already mentally ill. And that's what we've [28:24] seen against this president for far too long. The Press is disinformation and misinformation online. [28:30] There will be bite-sized clips that will go viral to the point where there are Americans in this [28:35] country that believe that what happened Saturday night was staged. How does this White House tackle [28:42] that with social media companies out there, whether it's X, Facebook, Instagram, how do they work with [28:48] these companies to make sure that doesn't get out of control? Ms. It's certainly a good question, [28:52] Aisha. I don't have tangible answers for you on what we're doing with social media companies, [28:57] if anything at all. What I will say is it's very important to us that we get the truth and the facts [29:03] about this case in any case out there as quickly as possible to dispel some of that crazy nonsense [29:08] that you do see running rampant online. And I think the Department of Justice and the FBI thus far [29:15] have done a good job of disseminating the truth and the facts about this alleged attempted assassin, [29:21] the perpetrator in this case. And I understand he'll be arraigned in court very soon. You all see [29:26] that. And the Department of Justice will be giving a briefing and an update later today. So as far as we're [29:31] concerned, just providing maximum transparency. And hopefully people will believe the truth [29:37] rather than the lies and the conspiracies that so often do go crazy on social media. [29:41] The Press, Caroline. [29:42] Ms. Rachel. [29:43] The Press, Caroline. Does the administration view this as a security failure or did the [29:47] protocols work as they were designed? Ms. The President has said he believes that [29:51] the protocols worked. Again, you had a perpetrator who tried to breach the security parameter that was [29:57] set up by Secret Service. And he was running as fast as he could and was immediately neutralized [30:03] moments later. And again, having been right up there on the stage with the President and the First [30:07] Lady, I can tell you it was seconds before we were told to get down. And it was seconds before we found [30:13] ourselves in the holdroom backstage. It all happened literally within a matter of seconds. The President, [30:19] the Vice President and the First Lady being pulled to safety. That is not done if there's a lapse. So [30:26] Secret Service did their jobs well. They communicated with one another to remove the [30:29] President and the Vice President to safety as quickly as they could and obviously to neutralize [30:34] the shooter as well. And thank God they did, because if that man was allowed into that ballroom, [30:38] it would have been a much different scene. And just one more follow-up on just how the White House [30:42] could be rethinking security protocols going forward. I mean, we all remember after the attempted [30:47] assassination in Butler, there were indoor rallies that were held after that. Is that out of the [30:53] question changing any additional security protocols when it comes to how the President [30:58] does these events that are outside of the White House? I definitely wouldn't say changes are out of [31:03] the question. I think, again, that it's up to the White House here and we view it as a great [31:07] responsibility to ensure the maximum safety of the President and the Vice President and the entire [31:12] Cabinet. And so we're always looking for ways to improve security. I think if you just sit here and say [31:17] everything is perfect all the time, that's not a good way to operate. And so the White House will continue to [31:22] engage with DHS and with Secret Service, to find ways to improve and strengthen security. But as far as [31:27] Saturday night is concerned, the President was satisfied with the response. And he's very grateful to [31:31] the men and women who provided the response for him and his wife and members of his team. [31:36] The Press. Thanks, Caroline. The President has talked about rescheduling the dinner within 30 days. [31:44] Does he have a specific venue in mind? And would he consider hosting it at the White House? [31:48] Well, unfortunately, we don't have a room big enough here at the White House, [31:52] which is another point to be made. And the President is absolutely right. It's why [31:57] the White House Ballroom Project is not just a fun project for President Trump, [32:02] like you will read in the media. It is actually critical for our national security that a larger, [32:07] secure building on this complex, which is the most secure complex in the world, [32:12] is built to accommodate not only large amounts of guests, but also the President, the Vice President, [32:18] members of the Cabinet. The line of secession in this country should be able to gather freely and [32:23] safety without the fear of threats or political violence. And the White House Ballroom will provide [32:29] that. And so it's critical that we get this project done as quickly as possible. [32:33] Thank you, Caroline. Two questions, if that's all right. First, on the security situation on Saturday, [32:41] kind of a follow-up here. Previous administrations have sent both the President and the Vice [32:46] President to the dinner. But after the foiled attack on Saturday, if the dinner is rescheduled, [32:53] would President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance both plan on attending? And is it wise to have [33:00] both of them in the same spot given the presidential line of succession that you mentioned a second ago? [33:07] It's definitely a good question. And I know that it's one that will be raised. I can assure you [33:11] the President intends to attend the event, as he has told all of you publicly. I don't want to rule [33:16] in or out the Vice President's attendance, but certainly that's a conversation that will take place. [33:20] And the Iran has proposed a mutual reopening of the Strait, leaving the nuclear discussion [33:28] for later in the process. Given that the nuclear program has been a red line for this administration, [33:34] would the President agree to that kind of phased negotiation? [33:38] Well, only because it's been reported, I will confirm the President has met with his national [33:43] security team this morning. The meeting may be ongoing, maybe not. I don't want to [33:46] speak affirmatively because I was prepping to come out here. But the proposal was being discussed. [33:52] I don't want to get ahead of the President or his national security team. What I will reiterate [33:57] is that the President's red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear, [34:01] not just to the American public, but also to them as well. [34:04] So they're considering it? [34:05] I wouldn't say they're considering it. I would just say that there was a discussion [34:09] this morning that I don't want to get ahead of. And you'll hear directly from the President, [34:12] I'm sure, on this topic very soon. [34:14] What's the President's red lines? [34:15] I'm going to ask you about the Fed Chairman. But first, three assassination attempts in three years. [34:20] Is this going to change the type of events that the President goes to? [34:23] Well, again, that's going to be part of the conversations moving forward. But as you heard [34:28] from President Trump, he does not want these deranged lunatics and these grave acts of political [34:36] violence to change our American way of life. And I think it's a very brave thing for him to say. [34:40] It'd be very easy for him to just hunker down here at the White House where he knows he's safe. [34:44] But the President wants to be out across the country. He wants to go across the country to meet with [34:50] Americans. He wants to celebrate the 250th birthday of our nation's anniversary this summer. [34:55] As you know, we're gearing up for a big UFC fight here on the South Lawn. So there's many exciting [35:00] events. I know the President wants to be part of and will be part of moving forward. He's undeterred [35:06] in that way. And it's something that inspires all of us here to keep going. [35:09] The Press. Senator Tillis is now dropping his objection to allowing Kevin Warsh to be confirmed [35:15] because the DOJ has closed their investigation. Is the President satisfied that an Inspector [35:20] General report into the Federal Reserve is enough to look into these renovations? [35:25] The President understands that the Inspector General has greater tools at their disposal, [35:30] perhaps even more powerful than a grand jury, to continue investigating the financial mismanagement [35:35] of the Fed building, which is a priority for the President. Look, he's a builder himself. When he sees [35:40] something has a lot of cost overruns, is taking too long, and is this case ripping off the [35:44] American taxpayer? He wants to get to the bottom of it. I understand Senator Tillis put out a [35:49] statement saying he'll support Kevin Warsh's confirmation. That has been our position all [35:54] along from day one. He is more than qualified for the job, and we look forward to working with the [35:58] Senate on his swift confirmation process. Megan. [36:01] As a follow-up on Warsh, will the President be satisfied once the Fed's Inspector General [36:05] finishes that investigation, even if it finds no evidence of wrongdoing? [36:09] Well, that's a hypothetical question. I'll let the President speak on it when we see the results. [36:13] It's obviously far too early to say. And, Harley, as a follow-up, now that it [36:16] looks like Warsh will be confirmed by the end of Jay Powell's term, does the President, [36:20] is he still considering firing Jay Powell if he stays on as governor after that? [36:24] I haven't talked to him about it specifically, but I think the President will be satisfied [36:28] once Kevin Warsh is confirmed as the Fed Chair, which he should be. [36:31] On Iran, the President had said last week that the U.S. has started the process of clearing the [36:38] Strait of Hormuz of mines. Do you have an update on how many have been removed and an estimate of [36:43] how long that process could take? I don't, but I would defer you to the Pentagon on that. We'll [36:47] make sure they get you an answer, Karen. The Press is an ongoing process, though. [36:50] It's still actually happening right now? Again, I would defer you to the Pentagon on [36:54] anything with respect to clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz. [36:56] I know that you said that the White House is reviewing the security protocols for things [37:04] that could be done differently in the future. Have you identified anything so far that you would [37:09] like to see done differently or asked the Secret Service to make any changes in the security protocols [37:14] for the President, particularly at these large events that are taking place off the White House [37:18] campus? Not yet, no. But as I said, there will be a meeting here at the White House [37:23] in the earlier half of this week. So those conversations will take place. [37:26] And on the line of succession? And I would also just add, you know, [37:29] look, the Secret Service does not detail their procedures or operations to the public for obvious [37:35] reasons, because you have crazy people who try to hijack them and get around them. So these [37:39] conversations will take place in private. But if adjustments need to be made to protect the [37:44] President, they will be made. And on the line of succession, the White House discussed [37:48] doing like it does, for instance, with a joint address to Congress for these large events [37:52] and designating someone as the designated survivor for future large events that the Cabinet attends. [37:57] Well, those conversations ahead of the Walk of Dinner did take place. But there were several [38:01] members of the Cabinet in the line of succession who did not attend for various personal reasons. [38:07] So designating one survivor was not necessary, as we had several members who were not there already. [38:12] Carol, I want to be forced to dive under tables and fearing for their lives on Saturday night, [38:16] including many of the people in this room, myself included. What is the President's message [38:20] to those people who experienced that terrible trauma and maybe are still fearful today? [38:26] I think he would say, as he sort of did on Saturday night, coming in here in his tuxedo, [38:32] you know, we can't allow these crazy people to let us be afraid. We have to keep moving forward, [38:37] showing up, doing our jobs, celebrating our country, and doing what we know is right. [38:42] But certainly we'd like to see the rhetoric against this President and his supporters toned down, [38:47] because it is inspiring these crazy people across the country to target not just the President, [38:52] but those who work for him and those who support him. And it must end. [38:55] Is he following the arraignment of the suspect today? [38:58] Yes, he is. And I know you all want to follow that, too. So it's happening in a few minutes. [39:01] So I'll let you all go. The Department of Justice is also going to be speaking, [39:06] momentarily following the arraignment. And I hope that, pray that this is the last time I speak to you [39:12] for some time until after my maternity leave. So thank you guys. [39:21] There you have it. That was White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt there, [39:29] addressing members of the media following the shooting at the White House Correspondents [39:34] Dinner on Saturday evening. You just heard Miss Levitt there at the end, referencing that she hopes [39:39] that this is the last time she is talking to the pool of press. She was supposed to go on maternity [39:44] leave on Friday. She said that that was gonna be her last time addressing members of the press for [39:48] the for some while. But then obviously is back here today following the events of the past weekend. [39:55] Earlier in our YouTube stream here, we had a viewer Stacy Cherry 4716 asking who will take Caroline's [40:03] job when she is done. Thank you so much, Miss Stacy Cherry for tuning in and commenting with that [40:09] question. Caroline Levitt told reporters a variety of administration officials will handle her official [40:16] briefing duties and Fox is reporting that that includes Vice President J.D. Vance or potentially [40:22] even President Trump himself. Okay, this has been a Live Now from Fox YouTube presentation. I'm Adam [40:29] Lorenz. Thank you so much for tuning in and we're going to leave you right now on a shot of the White House. [40:35] You can tune in to Live Now from Fox 24-7 wherever you get your local news. Take care.